Chicago Dogs

Remember when I shared with you all about my Summer Vacation? I’m still dreaming about the food we had in Chicago and the one thing that has been on my mind the most, are those Chicago Dogs! Traditional Chicago Dogs consist of very specific ingredients. Nine ingredients to be exact! Ingredients that are hard to find in Southern California. Go figure! We can make awesome Fish Tacos with no problem, but Chicago Dogs? That’s a whole other story. You can’t recreate the perfect hot dog, without the right ingredients! Thank goodness for Google! I found an all-in-one-kit from the folks at Vienna Beef and after weeks of craving them (and talking non-stop about them with our family) we were finally able to have all the kids over for a Chicago Dog Party!

So what are the proper ingredients for a Chicago Dog?

Steamed poppy seeds buns.

2. All beef Vienna hot dogs. No, you can’t substitute a regular hot dog. It has to be all beef! Trust me on this!

Please note, it won’t be a *real* Chicago Dog if you don’t layer the toppings on your dog in the proper order. I don’t know if there are Chicago Dog police anywhere, but why take chances? Tradition dictates you “drag it (your hot dog) through the garden” in the following order:

8. Two or three Sport Peppers (If you don’t live in Chicago or the surrounding areas, you may have to order these online.)

And finally, the last ingredient!

9. Celery Salt

And that, friends, is how you assemble a traditional “Chicago Dog!” A perfect cornucopia of flavors! A little tang from the pickle and onion, a bit of sweet from the relish, a fun bit of heat from the sport peppers and mustard, the tomato wedges cools it all down, and the celery salt blends in with the all-beef dog and the steamed bun perfectly!

Now THAT is a flavor combination worth remembering (and recreating often!)

Traditional Chicago Dogs

A classic taste of the windy city! The perfect recreation of my epic Chicago Dog experience!

1 package Vienna All Beef Hot Dogs

8 Poppy Seed Hot Dog Buns

Yellow Mustard

Chicago Style Green Pickle Relish

1/2 white onion, chopped

2 tomatoes, cut into 8 wedges each

8 Dill Pickle Spears

16 Vienna Sport Peppers

Celery Salt

Place a pot of water on the stove with a steam basket above the water. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, cover until ready to assemble hot dogs.

Fill a large pot (large enough to hold 8 hot dogs) with water, add hot dogs and bring to a boil. Cook for 4-6 minutes or as directed on the package.

As hot dogs are cooking, chop up your onion, slice the tomato wedges and count out the Sport Peppers.

Place the Poppy Seed Buns in the steamer basket and steam for approx 45 seconds. Watch the buns carefully, you don't want them to get too soggy.

Place a hot dog in each bun. Add the toppings in the following order:

Squirt yellow Mustard down one side of each bun

Drizzle Chicago Style Relish down the opposite side of the mustard.

Add chopped onion (to your taste)

Add two tomato wedges on each hot dog

Add one pickle spear

Place two Sport Peppers on top

Sprinkle very lightly with Celery Salt

Serve immediately!

If you want to make your own Chicago Dogs and don’t have the right ingredients either, I found all mine at Vienna Beef! What food memories do you have from vacations that you’d like to recreate at home? Let me know! I’d love to hear all about them!